Bromide, florinated chemicals not a health risk yet, panel says

The steady accumulation of brominated and fluorinated chemicals in
foods do not pose a health risk at this time a UK scientific panel
says.

The independent panel, which advises the Food Standards Agency
(FSA), examined the available data for a range of foods for both
groups of chemicals.

"Based on the results of these surveys, there are no
implications for people's health,"​ the FSA stated in a press
release last week.

The processing industry is under regulatory and consumer
pressure to ensure better safety of their food products and the
packaging. Health concerns about packaging chemicals, such as
phthalates, have raised consumer awareness of about the risks posed
by materials

Fluorinated chemicals include related compounds such as
perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which are thought to be
carcinogenic, and are being phased out in Europe and the US.
DuPont, which uses PFOA in the making of products such as Teflon,
is facing a number of lawsuits in the US over its use of the
chemical.

Among other uses, PFOA is also employed in the manufacture of
grease-resistant packaging for candy, pizza, microwave popcorn and
hundreds of other foods.

The FSA panel said its survey of fluorinated chemicals,
including perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and the related PFOA,
was sparked by an increasing number of reports of the two being
found in the environment, in fish and in other foods.

PFOS was found at concentrations above the limit of detection in
the potatoes, canned vegetables, eggs and sugars and preserves food
groups, the advisory panel reported.

PFOA was detected only in the potatoes food group. Other
fluorinated chemicals were detected only occasionally, although ten
different fluorinated compounds were found in the potatoes food
group.

The panel said it has not yet come to a conclusion on
establishing tolerable daily intakes levels for PFOS or PFOA.

"However, with regards to the results of the survey, it
considered that there is considerable uncertainty in intakes, since
the majority of food groups do not contain PFOS and PFOA at
concentrations above limits of detection, and the survey results
did not raise any immediate toxicological concerns,"​ the panel
stated in its report.

PFOS has a wide range of uses, which include protecting textiles
and fabric from staining, and in fire-fighting foams. Its use is
being phased out as it has been found to be potentially harmful and
doesn't break down easily in the environment.

In the brominated chemicals survey the panel said the work was
carried out due to the increasing number of reports of brominated
flame retardants (BFRs) and other brominated compounds being found
in fish and other foods.

BFRs are chemicals used in the manufacture of such products as
sofas to help prevent fire.

The panel estimated the average adult dietary intakes of a range
of brominated chemicals for 19 different food groups that make up
the UK diet, including bread, meat, dairy products, eggs, fish,
nuts, green vegetables, milk and potatoes.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), brominated dioxins and
furans, which are collectively referred to simply as brominated
dioxins, and polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) were analysed, along
with hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) and tetrabromobisphenol A
(TBBP-A) .

PBDE 209 was the most abundant PBDE found in samples, followed
by PBDE 47. These and PBDEs 49, 66, 99, 100, 153 and 183 were
detected in most of the food groups. Other PBDEs, brominated
dioxins, PBBs and HBCDs were detected less frequently. TBBP-A was
not found above the limit of detection in any food group.

The panel concluded that the concentrations of PBDEs, HBCD and
TBBP-A detected in foods, including farmed and wild fish and
shellfish, "do not raise toxicological concerns".

PFOA was labeled a "likely" human carcinogen by US Environment
Protection Agency in January 2006. In April, a class action lawsuit
was filed against DuPont due to PFOA contamination from its plant
in Deepwater, New Jersey.

It is one among others DuPont faces relating to PFOA. DuPont was
hit by allegations last year that it hid studies showing the high
health risks of the chemical. DuPont has denied the charges.